The artefact density in an archaeological deposit provides a direct record of the concentrating and dispersing effects of various formation processes. 2D density analyses have frequently been processed, especially through the topological properties of the Geographical Information System. Nevertheless, the resulting 2D visualisation by density maps does not consider or analyze the vertical interpolation of archaeological finds. This is limiting in the case of very thick archaeostratigraphic units, where the 3D visualisation of the density phenomena provides a basic tool for a better understanding of the real spatial distribution trends of archaeological remains. In this paper, we propose a new method for processing 3D density analyses, and we present its first application to the Middle Pleistocene site of Isernia La Pineta as a further step towards distinguishing the impact of natural and anthropogenic processes on site formation and stratogenesis.
KeywordsIntra-Site Spatial Analyses3D Density PatternsSite Formation ProcessesGeographical Information SystemMiddle PleistoceneIsernia La Pineta
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